Stroke Anxiety
Stroke Anxiety as a street photographer is a bummer ! Because I have anxiety as the result of my stroke and brain damage I struggle to get out and shoot. The knock on effect is the less I go the more I don’t want to go and the worse my technique and speed are !
I notice scenes a little too late so end up with the second best shot !
Anxiety and IBS are a huge issue and luckily for me there are plenty of toilets in a City !!!
Once I can get my arse out the door on a regular bases it won’t be as much an issue !
It’s strange I don’t actually get Anxiety taking photos it’s just the process of getting out of the house and looking for the first subject ! That voice in your head needs a good slap !
The plan is to get out as much as possible over the coming weeks and months so that I get used to it and the Anxiety subsides !
Crazy to think this is all years too late but I can blame lockdown for this !!
The image above was second choice subject I missed the guy in the green baseball cap by a fraction of a second !!
Well at least I got out and got a few shots !
Photography v Editing
Without going in to all the details Editing was my all time hate in my Photography journey !
When I was a kid I used to use cheap film that was sent away and I would first get a contact sheet choose the prints I wanted and order them.
As I got older and better I used to use better Labs and develop black and white at home and print black and white at home.
My colour work used to be slide film and always sent away.
My effort and enjoyment was being out with a camera.
As time went on and digital cameras came along I had to spend a year creating a black and white style for myself and learn to edit and I enjoyed the process and learned a lot. However I hated the amount of time I had to sit at a computer screen.
I know some Wedding Photographers that spend hundreds of hours editing and it drives them insane.
As a working pro I actually relished the day I was getting paid to write and talk as this took me away from editing!!
Over time I shot less and less and edited less and less up until I retired.
I bit the bullet about 3 years ago and stopped paying for Lightroom and Photoshop and just started using the Apple Software and Snapseed to edit all my work with a few other free Apps if required. It was a learning curve again but I have got what I need now.
I also don’t shoot for clients anymore and just for myself so I can go out and shoot and edit on my iPad as soon as I get home.
It’s just bliss !
My love of photography is returning mainly because I can shoot and edit super fast and don’t have to spend any time at a desk !!
It was always the plan after retirement as 99% of my hobbies became jobs and when I gave up the jobs the hobbies went !!!!
I did not want this to happen with my photography so have now got the balance right I hope !
I can now this year start to focus on my projects Journals and my Art !!
I just need to learn of to draw faster !!
YouTube
If you have followed my blog for a long time you will know my love hate feelings about Social Media.
I was on the verge of letting WordPress go when my subscription is up but one thing I love about WordPress is the lack of trolls bots and trouble makes !
I make a post on here and get positive feedback or a discussion takes place with mutual respect.
On YouTube it takes seconds for the clowns to arrive. I just hide there comments. The funny thing is every positive post on YouTube never has any follow up but as soon as you get a negative comment there is always a thumbs up with it. So the negative person must like their own post !
It’s actually quite funny that you are called useless, angry, negative, stupid, today I was accused of projecting my photography failings on the younger generation !! It just makes me laugh ! I retired at 55 so don’t really consider I failed !
I have had exhibitions including one in Paternoster Square London by the Stock Exchange. One in Liverpool, two in Hull and been featured in books and magazines around the world ! My stock photography has been used in millions of places and I have been in books etc and that’s without being a Fujifilm ambassador and trainer and keynote speaker.
I feel I achieved quite a lot financially and personally, one thing is for sure I am happily retired.
Personally I have not finished yet but have plenty of time for more projects.
I love how one video calling out the Lazy Gits in the world produces so much negativity ! It absolutely confirms all I say and write.
I think one of the reasons I got rid of my first YouTube channel is becuse it becomes a full time job hiding comments from people who have faceless accounts who have nothing better to do all day but write bollox online !
I have just had a look at Threads on instagram some of it is the same shit that’s on Twitter and Facebook and that is why I don’t use either anymore. But if I can work out how to get Threads to show me great artists then it could be a good little project platform. I doubt the algorithms will be that kind !
One of the funny things about trying to teach and inspire people is exactly what my post and video was about yesterday ! The lazy useless people are so Jealous of other people who are better than them they have to try and spoil it for everyone else.
Lucky I am immune to it ! After teaching real in person I know that in 1 in 10 people on average I used to teach is only there to put people down to make themselves feel better ! This is the world of social media spilling out into society
It’s sad but true !
Death of Photography
I lost a good friend a while back and it came as a shock but Tom kept his illness a secret even from his friends.
I took this at Photo North where both Tom and I were speaking. He reminded me he needed to sign a copy of his book, he never did get to sign it.
Tom was amazing with his time for both Exhibitions and talks and for giving out amazing advice for free to many of my friends.
A quote from Tom
“A terrific still photograph remains one of the most powerful weapons that is around – it is storytelling with a camera – a box with a hole in that allows you to tell stories which is as old as time. If you’re good, curious and you tell them in a unique way or the best way you can people will always want to see them or know about things.
Photojournalism will be around forever.”
Over the last few years as Technology grows all the useless clueless people who buy camera gear with no idea what they are doing are desperate for Ai and more and more Tec to disguise how useless they are ! I am not talking about people willing to put the time in and learn through using camera equipment and doing projects.
I am talking about the millions of lazy people that rely on technology to make their useless meaningless images look almost interesting !
I actually can’t wait because it’s having the reverse effect ! Ai all looks the same to perfect !
Photography is going to change in a massive way over the next 50 years in-fact over the next 10 and I can’t wait.
Photography as we know it is dying art and this will eventually show the skilled artist and photographer who knows what they are doing from the cheats who can’t be bothered to learn.
Photography is slowly dying art as my generation start to die there are very few people coming up behind us.
So if a young person today was to learn all the skills of a great photographer in the future they would really stand out from the mess of Ai and digital Art.
The lazy people have tried very hard to rubbish the creative real side of photography the years of skill and knowledge in crafting an image through light and the long term value of projects !
Their negativity online to get clicks and likes has eroded what a true professional photographer is.
That will all start to change as they chase the tec and the cream of great photographers rise to the top past the Algorithms and past the influencers !
You can’t beat a well crafted image by a truly skilled photographer !
I can’t wait !
The Photography Show ( TPS)
I learnt a lot from the Photography Show as a speaker and most was all about how great the show was for meeting friends, education and inspiration.
I just made a short video about it.
I think TPS is amazing just for the talks alone. In the UK we get educated for free in most schools so expect all education to be for free so most people hate paying for anything.
Unfortunately you get what you pay for ! State education will get you through your exams and then it’s up to you to take it further.
The Photography show is a unique opportunity to see some of the best photographers in the world and listen to them talk for free ! Why ? Because the Manufacturers and Brands pay for them to talk to you so make the most of it.
I learned very quickly that paying for a great education can give you the keys to the kingdom a lot faster.
I had a long hard learning curve being dyslexic but learnt through teaching how much faster I would have progressed with the right paid tutor !
Fujifilm pay for some amazing people from all over the world to come and talk to you and inspire you to go out and take amazing photos.
So if you go to TPS this weekend make the most of the talks and book on as many as you can.
Coming away inspired with a head full of ideas is a good thing.
Landscape and Day 1
This blog might close once it comes up for renewal ! I hardly use it anymore now I am using Day 1, if you have to pay to keep all your past blogs then it will definitely go when it runs out.
I have always felt a personal connection with being outside ! I prefer to be outside than in and could live in the woods and never worry about the outside world.
However I have always struggled to shoot landscapes that make me feel connected to the landscape through the image until now. However in trying to explore this in more depth I have decided to use Day 1 Journal app to give me a chance to explore it properly and without other people’s input or comments.
It’s only since I have been Retired and spent every day walking and thinking and using my phone as a camera has my desire to explore this connection come to light. I am known for my Street Photography and Fujifilm connection but for me Photography is all about trying to connect the image to the photographer ! Most of the time you just get to see the same old classic landscape with no real connection or meaning !
But now I need to explore my love of the outdoors through photography and it’s going to be an epic selfish journey!
Rose Lane Coffeeshop Window
Well that’s nearly the 2023 out the way and we can move on in to 2024. I have my Travel Pass project all planed out for 2024 along with quite a few ideas but this Coffee Shop window is calling me. I can’t tell you why just yet as I need to try out my idea first.
It’s no secret that I love a good window and have completed quite a few windows and reflections projects but my next years project sort of gave me an idea about this window that I will aim to explore in 2024. I don’t actually know if it will work but will aim to find out in January.
I just love the possibilities this window and area offer so have set a plan in motion to explore my idea. I have a few alternative options as well just in case this idea does not work out.
For now I will leave you with these ! Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year see you in 2024..
Making Videos Again
It’s nearly that time of year again ! How time flies. I have at last after 10 months got some ideas for YouTube so started making videos again. I closed down my original YouTube channel a few years back it had far too many followers and trolls from the old days and also it was corrupted account that became a pain to manage.
The latest video is My Style of Street when I started this new channel I wanted to be me keep it real and just say things how they are. I know so many YouTubers who are lovely people but the have to follow the rules to grow their channels. My channel probably won’t grow very much and I think I prefer that. I just want to make truthfully videos for a small audience that wants to watch them.
It’s amazing how these days I can make a YouTube video on my phone and edit it on my phone ! Of course there are no fancy camera angles or editing tricks to keep people interested and viewing for longer. The way I see it is, if I can edit it quickly and get it online and people want to watch they will.
If I have got to spend hours gaming the system then I won’t enjoy it.
The game plan is to make short videos that might help someone with their photography travel health or art or even give them ideas for retirement and if I can help or inspire just one person I will be happy and keep making them. I have already been able to give some great Stroke advice to a friend.
So happy Christmas guys see you in the new year.
My channel is YouTube
Fujifilm X-T30
I was supposed to go in to Liverpool city centre today or Town as we call it when we live just outside the centre. I had to much to do so just popped out for a twenty minute walk. I brought this X-T30 in new condition from my friend David Goold who was in the process of selling his Fujifilm gear. I was in the process of looking for a camera to help me shoot and compose faster on the street and the X-T30 was perfect.
I was not expecting to get anything in 20 min but captured a few images to make this post and add a few images to Instagram. I will give the camera a better test next week in Town but so far it’s just perfect for the way my brain works now. I think this camera combined with my X100F and and XPro2 will be perfect. I will probably use this X-T30 for 90% of my street work. It was a shock after my Stroke how slow I was at capturing images as I saw them.
I needed a tilting screen to help me speed up my shooting workflow because I could not work how I used to as I was missing too many shots.
I remember when I was teaching how people were surprised I showed some of my failed shots. The image above is actually a failed shot because of the lamppost out of the girls head but I like to show them on social media to see how much traction they get.
I really enjoyed popping out for 20 min with this camera. Super happy with this purchase it really has helped me to See Frame and compose really quickly getting the image I saw not a version 3 seconds late.
I am really looking forward to getting out with this little camera for longer and shooting all year round with it. Can’t wait to start a new project for 2024.
First Frost
It’s amazing how a scene can change so much over a few hours ! This was leaf mulch before the sweeper was driven through ! Love this splattering of leaves just after it’s gone ! It’s almost like a defiant tree having a shake !
First frost of 2023 and what a difference it makes to my morning walk. Just love the crystal clear air and cool and warm tones ! I don’t mind the cold when out walking you soon warm up. Not sure how dogs don’t even notice it !
Starting a few projects next year and thinking about Trees ! I am now finding interesting trees everywhere ! Just hope I can get in to so many projects all at once and do them justice! I guess I can only try.
At least writing this blog and a couple of Journals will seriously help me remember what the hell I have decided to do ! Only a couple of days away from the countdown to the C word ! The world goes nuts and spends a fortune all for just one day !
Lighttraveler 